Need new headphone setup.


I have a speaker oriented system that is very satisfying to me. But because of a need to maintain domestic tranquility I’m looking to go to a less noisy alternative: i..e. headphones.
I want to spend a total of about $1000. So, nothing too fancy. Not the equivalent of my much more expensive speaker system.
What do I need to assemble a headphone system independent of my regular system which is accessible from my listening chair and side table?
I plan on solely streaming. My present system contains a WiFi streamer.
Can that be incorporated, or do I need a new streamer?
I understand that I need a headphone preamp along with the cans.
I know my budget is not too high, but can I get something relatively decent at it?

Currently, I listen though cheap ear buds and stream through an iPad.

128x128rvpiano

I have a good headphone amp in my DAC/preamp, but for portable use I highly recommend my alternate setup, which I run from my phone or laptop. It sounds excellent.

A good set of budget reference phones like my Sennheiser 600 or 650 (Massdrop, now called Drop, does runs of these at a great price). $330 on Amazon Amazon / 650

 

and...

Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt DAC/amp

review

 

How much portability do you want?  Your iPad is already a streamer, so I would just buy a dongle DAC, like the Dragonfly Cobalt.  If you buy a streamer, DAC and amp for headphones, you're likely limiting your listening to one location and eating up a chunk of your budget (since you're essentially building a second mini-system).

I have several headphones and DAC/amp combos and, frankly, my cheapest, Dragonfly Black and Grado SR80s, sounds pretty damn good.  The Black, the new SR80x and a USB/Lightning adapter would run you a bit under $300.   A Cobalt and Grado 325x would run around $650.  Lots of headphone choices out there - but keep the source simple.

 

 

If you currently use cheap ear buds, then maybe another option to consider is something like Etymotic “In Ear Monitors” (IEM)?

Even with an iPad dongle, or with a standard iPhone 1/8” audio out they are surprisingly good.

If you are looking at cans. Then you probably want to select the can before selecting the amp, so that you can ensure the that required output impedance works.

Half the time I use the IEM without a pad, as their noise blocking is pretty good, so I use them like ear plugs. But I also have a few Etymotic ear plugs handy most of the time as well.